Film stretched ceilings are fast becoming the new trend in home interior decorating. Why not, when this type of ceiling offers a lot of advantages such as:

Variety. You can choose any color and have it shaped according to the exact size of your ceiling. You can even select a unique design such as a starlit blue sky, a sunny yellow motif- simply everything you have wished for the longest time ever.

Durability. Film stretched ceilings are made of PVC film and as such, have a service life of up to 50 years.

Fast installation. It doesn’t take too long to install Film stretched ceilings- an able worker can even install up to two of them per day.

Easy maintenance. It doesn’t require repainting or scrubbing. All you need to do is wipe it with a little mild soap diluted in water. Follow it up with a dry rag and it shines like new.

Sound proof. Perfect for music rooms, home theaters or any other area that needs sound proofing. Now, you can bang your piano with all your might without your neighbors complaining.

Thermal insulation. How about lower utility bills? With Film stretched ceilings, your heating and cooling needs will decrease because it isolates the temperature inside a room. It also promotes air quality since it doesn’t absorb dust.

Beauty. Aside from giving you a smooth, even surface, Film stretched ceilings also hide those unsightly wires and cables that are attached to your electrical appliances.

Safety. It is resistant to fire, fungus and molds which is the reason why this type of ceiling is chosen by many medical institutions.

And because Film stretched ceilings have a mirror-effect, you can maximize the space of a small or narrow room. Is it expensive? Not when you consider all the advantages above. It’s worth your salt, after all.

The old hospital has been restructured and renovated to look like a brand new spacious apartment with facilities like floating bedroom which is absolutely fantastic, a beautiful living room, two storey high ceilings and wonderful accents of rusticated wood and brick. These are the facilities one would hardly expect to be there in a hospital.

It has been furnished with great wood work and excellent architecture starting from hardwood floors in light color up to the rooftop deck which is fully furnished. Earlier the hospital just used to be a building with set of spaces, highly sanitized and painted in white. But now, it is also imprinted with structural brickwork.

In the first glance, this new structure would not resemble the other apartments or condos which have been converted creatively earlier, and its interior design would definitely give a new look. It has been integrated with warm materials, profuse décor, modern touch and exposed structural elements to make up for any sense of hygienic and cold setting. [via]

Designed to promote recovery in a healthy environment that fosters community, the first California green certified hospital, Laguna Honda, offers a number of services and amenities not typically found in most hospitals, including a hair salon, a multi-media library with a fireplace, a state of the art multi-media library and outdoor gardens with raised planting beds for growing vegetables and flowers.

The hospital was developed through a joint venture between architecture firms Anshen + Allen and Stantec Architects, and is comprised of two residential towers, and a four story central building. All of the buildings open onto a central park, which is home to the Laguna Honda animal therapy center. The design of the new building enhances the therapeutic effects offered by the lush 62 acre Laguna Honda Campus. All of the buildings are infused with ample of natural sunlight and each bedroom features operable windows that allow for natural air circulation.

The layout of the rooms within the buildings themselves are arranged to reflect a small town feel, complete with a town square or great room located at the center of every floor. Each floor in the north and south residence towers constitutes a neighborhood that is made up of 15 person households with each household having their own living and dining room.

The Boston based architecture firm, MASS Design Group, has already completed a significant and humanitarian commission to build Butaro Hospital in Rwanda. The district hospital now serves 400,000 people and has an innovative design to help restrict the spread of infectious disease. It was also built using local craftsmen and materials, and came in under budget.

Located in Burera District of Rwanda, the Butaro Hospital is comprised of a number of buildings set on a hilltop location. The hospital’s design was focused on mitigation and reduction of the transmission of airborne diseases. MASS collaborated with Partners in Health and Harvard Medical Center to develop and implement systems, like overall layout, patient and staff flow, and natural ventilation to minimize disease transmission.

Local laborers and craftsmen were utilized in the construction of the hospital. Local volcanic rock from the Virunga Mountain Chain was used to construct many of the facility’s walls and now the local masonry team is in especially high demand for their skills. The use of local materials and labor helped reduce the overall cost of construction, which was two-thirds of what a hospital of this size would typically cost in Rwanda.